Girls’ youth softball a hit

Andrew Edwards

As the evening chill cooled the air around the softball fields at El

Morro Elementary School, 12-year-old Kelly McCarter, used a quick

windmill motion to unleash a strike to her coach, Mark Linton.

“Very nice,” Linton called out after the bright yellow softball

landed in his glove.

Wednesday night’s pitching practice was off to a good start for

Laguna Beach’s first all-girl youth softball team. Coached by Linton,

the 16-girl team is set to play its first contest, an away game under

the lights, March 10 against opponents from Mission Viejo. As the big

night approaches, the girls -- some who have never played softball

before -- are learning the ropes with Linton and Jocelyn Turner, a

pitcher on the varsity girls’ softball team at Laguna Beach High

School.

“We’re basically working on the fundamentals, getting those down,”

Turner said.

The team is clearly still learning the fine points of the game.

For every strike thrown by Kelly or 13-year-old Bri Latendresse,

other pitches bounced off the ground or went wide. Standing by as the

girls threw, Turner checked on the young hurlers’ motions and offered

pointers on how to improve their follow-through and ball release.

“She’s a real good teacher,” Bri said.

Linton said he thought of setting up a girl’s softball team last

spring, while his daughter Kelsey was in her last year of Little

League. After getting a thumbs up from the Laguna Beach Little League

board, Linton was on his way to forming the city’s first girls

softball team.

“We had enough interest to form one team for girls 14 and under,”

he said.

The girls received a key assist from Little League board member

Wendy Pierce, whose three sons are all hardball players. Pierce, who

played ball as a girl, sponsored the team for $600.

“I’m happy the girls now have a forum to play in,” she said.

Much like an expansion team in the big leagues, the girls are

looking to gain experience and lay the foundation for the future.

“This is our building year, let’s go out their and play the game,”

Linton said.

“If I can see the girls get a hit, have a smile on their face,

field the ball properly ... I’m going to be a happy man,” he added.

One of players new to the game, 12-year-old Cassidy Robinson, who

has practiced at outfield and second base, is learning how to play

the game. Using humor to describe her progress, Cassidy said “I was

horrible beforehand, now I’m OK.”

Her coach said she has shown at practice she can do better than

OK.

“[Cassidy] snagged two line drives and fired off throws to second

base.... We nicknamed her ‘Hoover,’” Linton said.

The team’s catcher, 13-year-old Caitlin Baretto, who played

softball previously in Aliso Viejo, said she thinks the girls are off

to a solid start.

“We’re pretty good, we’re a beginning team,” she said.

The team’s home opener is scheduled for March 13 at 11:30 a.m. at

the softball fields at El Morro.